A woman died Tuesday night following a fire at a Omaha boarding house.
Heavy smoke was coming from the structure at M and 22nd Streets around 2:30 p.m.
Omaha Battalion Chief Tim McCaw told The World-Herald that fire was rolling over their heads when they entered the basement.
As firefighters searched the structure, they rescued a man and woman from the basement.
They began performing CPR outside the structure and rushed them to two hospitals.
The woman later succumbed to her injuries, the newspaper reported. The man is listed in critical condition.
Firefighters had difficulty searching the structure because of the layout, McCaw said. The 2 1/2-story structure contained 22 rooms.
Officials said the fire started in the basement and the other residents escaped uninjured.
Resident John Swanson said he didn't hear any smoke alarms sounding when he woke to a smoke-filled room on the top floor.
House Manager Dickie Music said each room is equipped with fire alarms, but a lack of batteries or a bad circuit prevented them from sounding.
